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Hold on tight, stretch before climbing and whatever you do, don't look down. And in this case, it's not just about height.

Get ready to swing, zip and step up to nearly 60 feet in the air between the trees and above crocodiles and alligators at Crocodile Crossing, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm's new aerial attraction.

"This is the only place in the world you can go over all 23 species of crocodilian found on Earth," said attraction manager Scott Brown.

"You'll be eye-to-eye with hornbills, toucans and close to lemurs," said John Brueggen, general manager of the Alligator Farm.

When it opens in March, Crocodile Crossing will be the first aerial park of its kind in the world, making it another unique experience in St. Augustine.

Brueggen decided to explore the idea of zip lines when he saw the success of the ZOOm Air Adventure Park located outside of the Central Florida Zoo in Sanford.

This aerial park is a feature of the zoo, but is located outside of the zoo away from animals.

The Alligator Farm and its staff had been looking for a way to use the land it owns all around the zoo for years.

"We wanted to use [the land] in an appropriate way," said Brueggen. "We thought of honeymoon cottages and aquariums, but they weren't the right fit."

The staff decided on an aerial park about six months ago.

The Sanford aerial park features zip lines and obstacle courses in the trees similar to Crocodile Crossing. It was built by Acrobranche, a Canadian company that builds these types of attractions throughout Canada and Europe.

Scott Brown, who works for Acrobranche and helped to design both the aerial park in Sanford and Crocodile Crossing, said this is the first park where participants go over animals, especially alligators and crocodiles.

Brueggen and Brown said because of the innovative nature of Crocodile Crossing, approving permits and licenses was tricky; no one knew what to do.

The issue of safety also popped up, they said, but Crocodile Crossing was built above the animals' jumping ranges, so there's no chance of the reptiles rising from their slumber and biting a climber.

Each person participating in Crocodile Crossing will wear a harness and be constantly attached to a main rope by two climbing ropes and carabiners, oblong metal rings that clip the climbing rope to the main rope.

While on zip lines, a third pulley carabiner will also be attached to the rope.

To make sure all participants are staying safe, there will be officials observing to make sure both carabiners are always attached to safety lines to prevent falls or injuries.

"Safety is always the main thing," Brown said.

Crocodile Crossing will expand the Alligator Farm's key demographic from families or mothers with children to teenagers, Spring Break vacationers, active adults and young adults looking for thrills, Brueggen said.

"This is much different than what our typical market has been," Brueggen said.

The course has 53 platforms with zip lines, loose bridges, balancing logs and other obstacles to cross from platform to platform.

The highest point of the course, 60 feet, is almost double the 35-foot height limit of buildings allowed by the shoreline.

Brown said that because it is physically demanding, the course attracts plenty of repeat customers, who might come to the Alligator Farm just for the aerial course.

"You're going to use all sorts of muscles that you didn't know you would use," he said. "Finishing this will give [visitors] a feeling of accomplishment. You'll feel so good about completing the whole course."

Crocodile Crossing is set to open after staff members test the entire course and complete its finishing touches: numbers on each platform, cargo nets on the sides of tightropes and other small details.

For now, workers are drilling, building and securing the course, all while sharing the space with resting reptiles.

Still, Brueggen said, as he sees the whole thing come together, he can't help but feel like a kid again.

"It's like Indiana Jones crossed with Jurassic Park crossed with Pitfall Harry," he said. "I have a ball with it."

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